Hi everybody, have read many useful posts on this subject, however i’m not sure which visa would be most applicable to our circumstances

I’m a brit aged 53 with £15000 in savings and an income of £1200 from rental properties in the UK. My wife is Thai and we’ve been married for 12 years, (married in the UK)

We want to live in Thailand full time

Neither of us has a job in Thailand but we plan on teaching to make a living. We also plan on renting an apartment

Should we apply for a marriage visa or can i apply for a retirement visa?, or even a tourist visa?

We have a flight booked on the 25th of Jan for a 90 day stay, also is it best to apply online or visit the embassy

Thank you in advance for any help and advise

:)

 

 

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Retirement Visa is less complicated than Marriage visa...

easier to apply for it once in Thailand, if you have a 90 day Tourist visa first.

Opening  a Thai bank account in the name of the NON Thai citizen is usually required by Immigration; NOT a Joint account.. to Deposit 800k or 400K+ Proof of Income.

Edited December 9, 20178 yr by bttao

1 hour ago, bttao said:

Retirement Visa is less complicated than Marriage visa...

easier to apply for it once in Thailand, if you have a 90 day Tourist visa first.

Opening  a Thai bank account in the name of the NON Thai citizen is usually required by Immigration; NOT a Joint account.. to Deposit 800k or 400K+ Proof of Income.

On Retirement extension one cannot teach to make a living or work at all. 

You should apply for a single entry non-immigrant 'O' visa based on marriage while in the UK. You won't get one based on retirement. All that's needed is your marriage certificate and a copy of your wife's Thai ID or passport.

 

You'll be granted 90 days on entry to Thailand. During the last 30 (maybe 45) days of the 90 you should apply for an extension of stay based on marriage. You'll need to have your marriage registered in Thailand before applying. 

 

Don't apply for an extension based on retirement as you cannot work without changing the basis of the extension or getting a new visa. You are allowed to apply for a WP and work with an extension based on marriage. There is a bit more paperwork (no big deal) with the marriage extension, but you need less income or money in the bank.

Edited December 9, 20178 yr by elviajero

1 hour ago, elviajero said:

duplicate

 

Sorry... I forgot the work part....

But It takes more paper work  than Retirement:

 

Edited December 9, 20178 yr by bttao

3 hours ago, bttao said:

 

Sorry... I forgot the work part....

But It takes more paper work  than Retirement:

 

Yes it takes a little more paperwork but is still pretty easy to do.

After getting a single entry non-o visa in from the embassy or one of the honorary consulates in the UK can apply for an extension of stay based upon marriage to a Thai. Your income from rentals is enough to meet the 40k baht income requirement to apply for it. You will use a income letter from UK embassy to prove your income.

You can get a work permit and work with a non-o visa or extension of stay based upon marriage.

Why not just put the feet up and enjoy you're life together, rather than working, Myself and "she who must be obeyed " live on less than your income (granted we neither drink or smoke) I know you're still a young man but the years do start slipping past quickly and as we all know...." There are no shops in heaven".

At 53, teaching in a Thai high school might be “tedious” shall we say. I’d recommend getting all your ducks in a row paperwork wise, sugar on up to the Thai embassy in Savannkhet (Laos) and get a 1 year visa based on marriage and work wise, teach private students in the evening etc.


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13 hours ago, elviajero said:

You should apply for a single entry non-immigrant 'O' visa based on marriage while in the UK. You won't get one based on retirement. All that's needed is your marriage certificate and a copy of your wife's Thai ID or passport.

 

You'll be granted 90 days on entry to Thailand. During the last 30 (maybe 45) days of the 90 you should apply for an extension of stay based on marriage. You'll need to have your marriage registered in Thailand before applying. 

 

Don't apply for an extension based on retirement as you cannot work without changing the basis of the extension or getting a new visa. You are allowed to apply for a WP and work with an extension based on marriage. There is a bit more paperwork (no big deal) with the marriage extension, but you need less income or money in the bank.

how do you go about registering your marriage in Thailand ?

5 minutes ago, agrow said:

how do you go about registering your marriage in Thailand ?

You would register a foreign marriage at an Amphoe to get a Kor Ror 22 foreign marriage registry that immigration requires.

You would have to have your marriage certificate legalized by your embassy. Then have it translated to Thai and the translation certification certified by department of consular affairs of the MFA in Bangkok.

54 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You would register a foreign marriage at an Amphoe to get a Kor Ror 22 foreign marriage registry that immigration requires.

You would have to have your marriage certificate legalized by your embassy. Then have it translated to Thai and the translation certification certified by department of consular affairs of the MFA in Bangkok.

THANK YOU ubonjoe

Are either of you qualified experienced teachers with relevant degrees and experience?

 

If yes, then you'll probably be welcome. If not, then why on earth do you think anyone would hire you to teach?

21 hours ago, lemonjelly said:

At 53, teaching in a Thai high school might be “tedious” shall we say. I’d recommend getting all your ducks in a row paperwork wise, sugar on up to the Thai embassy in Savannkhet (Laos) and get a 1 year visa based on marriage and work wise, teach private students in the evening etc.


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Don't be discouraged I started teaching at 56 in Malaysia and then came here and taught for 2 years at 57 and 58. It's doable but not easy for sure. But you really need to consider if it is what you want because it is not a cakewalk. I do actually miss the kids but the rest of the school./admin BS coupled with low salaries drove me out.